Date for library move to centre is confirmed

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Published:08:45Thursday 29 September 2016

The date for the opening of the new library service in Newbiggin has been announced.

Active Northumberland will call in the removal vans next month to relocate the town’s library and all of its stock from the current Gibson Street premises, described as ‘run-down’ by the organisation, to a new space inside the town’s leisure centre on Woodhorn Road.

It will move temporarily into an area on the ground floor of Newbiggin Sports and Community Centre while work continues to refurbish the facility and establish a permanent home for the library elsewhere in the building.

The service at Gibson Street will close on Friday, October 21, and re-open at the centre on Wednesday, October 26.

Lorraine Dewison, chief executive of Active Northumberland, said: “We believe that everyone stands to benefit from this new arrangement.

“Library users will be able to enjoy longer opening hours, a more pleasant reading environment and easy access to other council services, while leisure users will be able to browse the shelves and pick up a book after enjoying a fitness class.

“It also means we are able to dispose of a run-down building that is no longer fit for purpose, continue making improvements to our other facilities and protect libraries in Northumberland.”

The transfer of the library coincides with the appointment of Gareth Baister as the new general manager.